Self-threading shuttle eye



Nov. 3, 1936. SFIIENCER 2,059,756

SELF THREADING SHUTTLE EYE Filed March 11, 1935 1 /2252? L. Qjverzder- Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNlTED STATES SELF-THREADING SHUTTLE EYE Philip L. Spencer, Millbury, Mass., assignor to Watson-Williams Manufacturing Company, Millbury, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 11, 1935, Serial No. 10,432

1 Claim.

This invention relates to loom shuttles and more particularly to a self-threading shuttle eye adapted for use in automatic weft replenishing looms.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a shuttle eye of the above-defined type so designed that it will be economical to manufacture, reliable in use, readily threaded automatically, and practically incapable of accidental unthreading.

With this general object in view, my invention relates more particularly to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a shuttle having my improved eye assembled therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views, taken along the lines 44 and 5--5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the shuttle, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal sectional elevation, taken along the line in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a portion of a shuttle S having a recess |0 formed in the front end portion thereof to receive a shuttle eye block l2. The block [2 is provided with a lug l3 snugly fitting into an opening M in the bottom of the shuttle and by which the lug is held from displacement. The block |2 also has a transverse opening I5 to receive a clamping screw I! (Fig. 4).

The block |2 is provided with a thread passage 20 in its rear portion, which passage preferably converges forward in substantially conical shape as indicated in Figs. 4 and '7. The block I2 also has an overhanging or thread-retaining portion 25 (Fig. 1) forming the upper wall of the passage 20 and said portion 25 has a hook-like forward projection 26 effective to prevent unthreading of the eye by escape of the thread T from the passage 20. A threading slot 28 is provided in the side of the passage 20 and extends forwardly and upwardly as indicated in Fig. 7.

The shuttle eye has also a forwardly projecting portion or horn 30 terminating in a depending hook-like end portion 3| (Figs. 5 and 6).

A guide portion 4|] extends transversely and downwardly from one side of the horn 30 and is provided with a guide passage 4| having a downwardly opening slot 42 (Figs. 3 and 6).

The block I2 has a shoulder 5|] at the forward end of the thread passage 20, and the thread T is drawn downward over this shoulder to the side 5 outlet thread passage 4| as clearly indicated in Fig. 5. The thread thus makes two fairly abrupt turns in its passage through the shuttle eye and these turns provide sufficient friction so that the use of additional friction members or devices is 10 commonly unnecessary.

It will be understood that the body of the shuttle S is suitably recessed to receive the shuttle block l2 and its attached portions and to assist in the guiding of the thread, particularly in the 5 threading operation.

A slight clearance is provided as indicated at (Fig. 1) between the wall of the recess Ill and the retaining member 25 (Figs. 1 and 4), thus permitting the thread to be readily drawn into 20 the slot 28 and thread passage 2|]. The top of the retaining member 25 is curved gradually downward as shown in Fig. 4 to facilitate this threading operation.

A slight clearance is also provided at 6| (Figs. 25 1 and 5) so that the thread may pass readily around the depending end portion 3| of the horn 30. The shuttle is furthermore recessed as indicated at 62 and 63 (Fig. 3) so that the thread is free to pass downward along the rearwardly 30 and downwardly sloping edge 64 of the portion 40 until it slips through the slot 42 into the thread passage 4|, as indicated in Fig. 5.

A shuttle eye thus constructed may be cast in a single piece from cast iron or other suitable 35 metal, and requires very few and simple machine operations thereon. It is found in practical operation that a shuttle eye formed as above described gives unusually satisfactory service and that unthreading of the eye and snarling or 40 breaking of the thread is of very rare and unusual occurrence.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as 45 set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

A shuttle eye comprising a block having a longitudinally disposed and forwardly converging slotted thread passage therein, with an overhanging retaining member forming the upper wall of 50 said passage and having a forward projection at itsv front end, a horn for said block extending forwardly from said block and having a forward end portion which is offset transversely and downwardly to form a thread-retaining hook at the 55 side of said horn toward said thread passage, and said block having a portion substantially ofiset laterally at the opposite side of said horn and substantially spaced laterally from said forwardly converging passage, said portion extending downward substantially below the point of thread delivery from the shuttle and having a guide opening in its lower end positioned substantially below the thread-supporting surface of the forwardly converging thread passage, said guide opening being closed at all sides except for a single narrowed threading slot directed downwardly from said guide opening and through which slot only'a thread may enter said opening, said guide opening also forming the entire delivery passage for the thread from theshuttle in which the shuttle-eye is mounted.

PHILIP L. SPENCER. 

